cliff deal in public. let's listen. >> i get nervous when two people disappear into a white house room and start making a grand alliance and they think, we're going to do this and get it out of the secret meetings and into the public venues to the american people and the congress themselves, we're responsible for making intelligent decisions. that should be done publicly. but at some point, after public debate and so forth, yes, private negotiations can help bridge the gap and bring us to a successful conclusion. >> mary, what do you think? will that be a kiss of death? >> i don't think there's time, wolf, the president has been dragging its feet. we have a few numbers of days left before we go off the fiscal cliff and taxes are raised for everybody. so speaker boehner knows a caucus, a serious, mature sober leader. he knows what his principles are. he's a principled conservative, a mainstream businessman and knows what the issues are. the house should and is largely trusting him. >> and what do you think